Chad Ford: Orlando Magic should take Kristaps Porzingis
ESPN.com draft scribe Chad Ford is high on Kristaps Porzingis and sees him as the perfect fit for the Orlando Magic this summer.
Excuse Orlando Magic fans for being a little gun shy about drafting an international prospect. The last time the Magic took an international prospect, they got burned. Big time. They are still waiting for Fran Vazquez.
Mentioning Kristaps Porzingis or Mario Hezonja — a current teammate of Fran Vazquez — is likely to get some eye rolls and plenty of skepticism. The foreign players like Hezonja, Porzingis and Emmanuel Mudiay will not participate in the NBA Draft Combine. And so the Magic or any NBA team will not be able to interview them until Euro Camp or until individual interviews.
There is still no getting around it, Porzingis is a legitimate option for the Magic at wherever they pick, be it five or eight.
Magic fans have centered their focus on Justise Winslow. But this Magic organization is going to do their research and look into everybody they are interested. And that includes Porzingis.
So who is Kristaps Porzingis? Brett dove deeply into what he brings a few weeks ago. In essence, Porzingis is an athletic stretch-4 with some shot blocking tendencies who needs to put on weight.
The Magic have been hunting for a power forward to pair with Nikola Vucevic. Specifically, it seems they want one who can stretch the floor (preferably to the 3-point line) and protect the rim and rotate fast enough to cover for Vucevic.
Porzingis is not going to be that immediately, but you have to consider him for that role.
ESPN’s Chad Ford goes a step forward. He thinks Porzingis is absolutely the guy for the Magic:
"I’ve said all year that I believe Porzingis is actually in the same tier with Towns, Okafor, Russell and Mudiay. He’s an elite talent who would likely be in much stronger contention for the No. 1 pick if he were playing at Kentucky or Duke instead of in Spain. It’s rare to find a 7-footer who can shoot the 3, protect the rim and see the game the way he does. The only real knock on him is that he’s really skinny. But I think he’s a great fit in Orlando next to Nikola Vucevic in the middle and Aaron Gordon at small forward. The Magic have drafted well the past few years. Elfrid Payton, Victor Oladipo and Gordon all have a chance to be really good. But Porzingis has star potential and if they’re willing to be patient for one season while he adjusts to the league, they could have a very special team going forward — high character, athletic, team-first. After Towns, Porzingis is the next guy on my board for Orlando over Okafor, Russell or Mudiay."
Ford is unusually high on Porzingis. This past year for Sevilla, Porzingis averaged 10.8 points per game during league play, shooting 47.4 percent and 32.9 percent from the shorter FIBA 3-point line. He added 4.8 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game in 21.7 minutes per game (about half the 40 minutes they play in international basketball).
Porzingis is still certainly rough around the edges. But the 19 year old is expected to continue growing.
He was originally entered into last year’s Draft, but withdrew his name. He was projected to go in the late Lottery. Now he is a a top Lottery pick.
Skepticism is fair when it comes to this big man. But if he develops as everyone seems to suggest, he would be well worth the pick and turn into a perfect match to go with Vucevic. If he does not . . .
In the immediate future, whether Porzingis is the right pick or not, he would help spread the floor and give some more athleticism around the rim. That does not mean he would bring elite athleticism or cover up all of Vucevic’s mistakes. He still has a lot to learn about the NBA game.
As does any rookie.
This is just one writer’s opinion on a player few have seen to this point. The Magic will get their chance to review him when they get to Eurocamp at the beginning of June, or sooner if he works out for them before then.